Foam packaging method

ABSTRACT

SYSTEM FOR PACKAGING MATERIALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF A FRAGILE NATURE WHICH IS READILY ADAPTED FOR OPERATION AT THE POINT OF SALE. INCLUDES THE PACKAGING APPARATUS, METHOD AND NOVEL PCKAGE PER SE. EMPLOYS CONTROLLED FOAMED IN PLACE CELLULAR MATERIAL SURROUNDING THE ITEM TO BE PACKAGED. PACKAGE IS FORMED OF TWO SEGMENTS. APPARATUS INCLUDES A READILY CONTROLLABLE FILLING MECHANISM FOR INSERTING FROM PRECURSOR MATERIALS INTO THE PACKAGE SEGMENTS.

NOV. 9', 1971 c, GQBHAl ETAL 3,618,281

FOAM PACKAGING METHOD Filed Oct. 14, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 /75 was SERVO- LIFT TRANSFER 73 wees PLATE v SERVO-LIFT 72 SHELLS INVENTORS. I CAI/A5 M. aoarm/ CHA RLES R. SPERRY HENRY A. HILL AWBREY 0. LA ws .1 PHIL/P B.WA/NWR/6HT, JR.

L I J PETER ALATHAM 1, PAUL 1:. BREFKA J 5+ By Ei NOV. 9., 1971 7 g GOBHA] ETAL 3,618,287

FOAM PACKAGING METHOD Filed 001;. 14, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f g? 5 f I gf INVENTORS. CAI/A5 M. GOBHA/ CHARLES R. SPERRY HENRY A. HILL AWBRE) C. LAWS PETER A. LATHAM PAUL E. BREE/(A Zia PHIL/P B. WA/NWR/GI-IE JR.

Nov. 9., 1971 c, GQBHA] ETAL FOAM PACKAGING METHOD 4 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Oct. 14, 1969 INVENTORS.

R J T, 1L M A mm SW N In HPL NM JM MAR WRH MW W ummr s A N U mswmnw MGHAP P NOV. 9, 1971 c. GOBHA] ETAL 3,618,287

FOAM PACKAGING METHOD Filed Oct. 14, 1969 4 Sheets-Sheet d.

3 In 5/ l V MW INVENTORS.

United States Patent I 3,618,287 FOAM PACKAGING METHOD Cavas'M. Goghai, Cambridge, Mass., Charles R. Sperry, Providence, R. I., and Henry A. Hill, Watertown, ;Awbrey C. Laws, Cambridge, Philip B. Wainwright, Squantum, Peter A. Latham, Newburyport, and Paul E. Brefka, Southboro, Mass., assignors to Synectics 'Development Corporation, Cambridge, Mass. Filed Oct. 14, 1969, Ser..No. 866,209

Int. Cl. B65b 17/00, 23/00, 33/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF- THE INVENTION "This'invention relates to a novel packaging system in cltiding a method ofpacka-ging, apparatus for packaging and the :rio'vel package per se.

More particularly, this invention relates to packaging wherein a relatively rapid setting in-place foaming material, 'such "as polyurethane or the like is used to package fragile items and the like at-the point of sale. While other uses'of ourinvention certainly fall within the scope hereof our principal aim is to provide a packaging system for use an retail lestablishments such as department stores wherein purchased items are packaged on the showroom flooriTl ie'iternsto be packaged are sturdily encased and s'upp'ortedwithinthe package by means of the surrounding foam. Ourinventio'n encompasses -a relatively simple, inexpensive apparatusreadily used by inexperienced personnel in afool proof manner and the package is ready for the customer, in many instances more quickly than the packing and wrapping procedures of the present time.

'We recognize that the prior art illustrates a number of techniques for packaging materials in polyurethane foar'ri'sand other comparable materials, for example as is illustrated in -U:S. *Reissue=Pata"Nog 2 4;767 and US. Pat.

No 2,897,64'1'but'aswill be evident to those skilled in.

this art, the'present invention represents a substantial improvementofsuchpriorart;We provide a readily foamed, sealed package, I preferably containing equal and controlled amounts of protective material on equal and op- ..;T.hese andother objects, features and advantages of our, invention will become apparent to those skilled in this particular art from the following detailed disclosure.

v.In the drawing: Y

FIG. 1 is a plan 'view of the console apparatus used in the present system;

apparatus for making in-place foam FIG. 2 is a view from the front of a representative package shell to be used herewith;

FIG. 3 is a side view of said shell;

FIG. 4 is a top view of said shell;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along lines 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view along lines 66 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of the package illustrated in the preceding figures in the open position;

- FIG. 8 is a broken-away view of the filling mechanism which is a component of the present package;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the package;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary schematic view of the closure and filling means of said package;

FIG. 11 is a view from the top of the opened package;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the joining means of said package;

FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate the means for filling the package shell illustrated in FIG. 2.

The invention will be discussed in conjunction with such drawings.

We will first consider that embodiment of our package which is illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 12 wherein like numbers are used throughout:

In one embodiment hereof, the package shell, generally denoted by the number 41 is essentially in the form of two mirror image halves 41a and 41b joined at a central hinged area 42. The two halves fold about said hinged area when the shell is closed. A flange or rim 43 is formed peripherally on the shell. Each shell half has a cavity 44 (which in the packaged form is filled with foam except for the volume of the item packaged) which cavity is defined by the sloping walls 45 and the bottom surface 46 which are preferably formed when the shell is manufactured as by vacuum-forming or the like. The flange 43 extends outwardly beyondsaid walls which in turn angle toward the bottom surface of the cavity.

We would note that the side and back walls 45 are essentially the same in shape and structure but the front walls 47 and 47a have integrally molded therein the entry means whereby the shell package is filled with the foam material. The structure of such port will be subsequently described.

The shell 41 is preferably molded in one piece for example thin polystyrene sheets, vacuum formed, or in the alternative may be formed in two halves which may be subsequently joined as by taping or the like.

i For purposes of discussion we will assume that polyurethane is being used as the principal packaging material although it should be clearly understood that a variety of other cellular foam materials may readily be used in lieu thereof. Also for purposes of discussion, as is illustrated in certain of the FIGS. 2 through 12 we will discuss the packaging of chinaware although of course many other types ofitems can be packaged as herein taught.

The cup 48 and the saucer 49 must be packaged in the near center of the shell when closed and must be supported from the time of initial placement until the cellular polyurethane has set and supports such pieces in place.

At the'same time we would note that polyurethane foam is extremely adherent to most materials and thus in 7 order to provide for ready ease of separation of the cup and saucer from the package we find that there should be a non-adherent film separating the cup and saucer from the polyurethane.

' All this is readily accomplished by using a flexible web member 50 which is positioned across the opened shell 41,-

as is illustrated in FIG. 11, with the sides of such web resting upon the rim 43. Such rim may have a slight amount of mastic applied to it in order to better hold the web in place. Onto the center of such web are placed the cup and saucer and the t-womirror halves 41a and 4112 are brought together-closed-as illustrated in FIG. 5. A tight closure seal is made along rim 43 and the polyurethane is then forced into the upper and lower cavities 44. Thus such web serves to initially support the piece or pieces being packaged and separates such piece or pieces from the polyurethane when the package is opened to provide for ready removal.

Such web 50 may be made of practically any type of stretchable, elastic or creped synthetic sheet material which separates the item from supporting foam. We have principally used preformed polystyrene sheets which do not adhere to the packaged item upon in-place foaming of for example polyurethane material.

Subsequently, in this specification We shall describe one means for filling said package with foam material, but at this point we would merely note that the foam precursor in one embodiment hereof is injected into the two cavities 44 by means of the distributor tip 51 illustrated in FIG. 1. We would also note that package is filled preferably from the bottom in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 through 12 in order to better assure a homogeneous foam to support the material being packaged.

Each shell half 41 and 41a has on its front face 47 and 47a half of the receiving means for said tip 51. This may be best seen in FIGS. 8 and 10. Centrally located on the flange 43 is half of an entry conduit 53a on the upper shell and there is a similar such conduit half 53 on the lower shell. The conduit is formed when the two shell halves are mated as illustrated for example in FIG. 3, and the filling tip 51 is inserted into the receiving portion 54 of such conduit.

Each shell half 41 and 41a has on its respective front wall 47 and 47a half of the receiving means for said distribution tip 51. This may best be seen in FIGS. 8 and 10. Centrally located on the flange 43 is half of an entry conduit 53 on half shell 41, and there is a similar such conduit half 53a on the other shell half 41a. The total conduit which surrounds the tip 51 is formed when the two shell halves are drawn together as illustrated for example in FIG. 3.

The filling tip 51 is inserted into the receiving segment 54 of the total conduit. Each conduit half, molded as an integral component of the shell, then makes a relatively sharp right angle bend lending into segments 55 and 55a. Such segments are directed in opposite directions. Subsequently, there is another right angle bend leading to segments 56 and 56a where the entry port ends. Blocking nibs 57 and 57a are provided at the termination of the conduit. Extending from said segments 57 and 57a are channel means 58 and 58a which convey the incoming foam precursor material into the cavity halves 44.

By such a construction, one-half of the incoming precursor foam is guided into channel 58 from segment 56a and the other half of said precursor is directed into channel 58a from segment 56. The channels open into cavities 44 and by such means equal amounts of incoming material is deposited into each said cavity.

A measured amount of precursor material is fed into the cavities by means of opening and closing the input into the distributor tip 51 and the foam forms in place around the package contents.

While the foam precursor material is being deposited in the two cavities 44, the package is sealed. This is most simply accomplished by the use of an adhesive on the internal faces of rim 43, or other sealing means may be employed. Heat sealing is quite effective.

To open the package one need merely separate the two shell halves by a tearing motion or, in some embodiments, a tear strip or the like, may be embossed, for example, onto the rim 43 to make opening of the package even easier.

We would note that various other configurations may be employed in both terms of the distributor tip 51 and the conduits and channels described above in order to provide for the ready insertion of equal amounts of foam precursor material into the cavities of the package.

We prefer to employ relatively rapidly setting polyurethane foams in the practice of this invention. In actual practice, for example, in a department store, the package is preferably ready to be taken by the customer within a minute or so after the present packaging procedure is initiated.

With polyurethane and other foam materials, certain exhaust gases are evolved as the foam is being formed and in the present case since the package is substantially closed to the outside atmosphere, means must be provided to vent said evolving gases and also, more importantly to permit the exit of the air initially inside of the cavities as such air is displaced by the foam. To these ends, we provide small pinholes 61 at the corners of the package and larger escape vents 62 at the sides thereof. The pinholes 61 permit regular filling of the foam into the corners of the package and the vents 62 provide a safety mechanism whereby any evolved gases may be controlled.

The polyurethane compositions having utility in the present invention are the so called one-shot formulations which in the past have been used in conjunction with various spraying or frothing techniques. In such compositions are the usual two principal components of quick setting polyurethane foams principally a di-isocyanate component and a polyol component which are mixed in a nozzle (in our case in a chamber opening as the distributor tip 51) and are then delivered to our package cavities in the incipient or precursor foaming state and then the foaming reaction takes place.

More particularly, one component usually designated as a dior polyfunctional isocyanate with small amounts of surfactant is mixed with the other component consisting principally of polyether polyols containing small amounts of tin salts and tertiary amine catalysts and blowing agents. In some cases, fire retardant materials are added. These two components are normally referred to as the A and B components. In the practice of this embodiment of our invention we employ a di-isocyanate such as methylene bis phenyl isocyanate (commonly referred to as MDI) or somewhat less preferably, tolylene di-isocyanate (commonly referred to as TDI).

Such two component polyurethane generating materials are commercially available and certainly a broad variety of such materials may be readily used in the practice of this invention.

For component A we have used the composition 99.2% MDI containing 0.8% of a silicone surfactant. The surfactant may range from 0.1% to 5%.

As for component B we have used the following composition:

Percent Polyol 67-80 Flurocarbon blowing agent 20-30 Tertiary amine catalyst 0.5-2 Dibutyl tin dilaurate 0.01-l

In the present specification and claims such percentages are by weight. Usually equal volumes of components A and B are used.

We would also note that fire retardant polyols can be employed herewith which polyols contain a small amount of phosphorous components.

Substantially any kind of rigid foam material, relatively rapid setting, which foams in place within the package, may be used in the practice of our invention. For example, urea-formaldahyde foams may certainly'be used in lieu of the polyurethane noted above. We have found that foam densities of around 2 to 4 pound cubit foot serve most adequate for the present packaging process.

We would also note that there are certain so called one-component foam precursor materials such as expandable polystyrene which expand upon modest heating,

or polyurethane materials for example as is described 'in US. Patent 3,226,344 which may be pre-mixed and which merely upon heating generate polyurethane foams which are useful in the present invention. Such one component precursors are deposited into the cavities of our packages and moderately heated to form useful formed-in-place packages.

Thus, a broad variety of one component and two component foam precursor materials may be used in the practice of our present invention.

We wish to turn next to a description of one type of apparatus which may be used in the practice of our invention. This apparatus is particularly useful in filling the package described above with liquid polyurethane foam precursor and which is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 13 and 14 hereof.

The numeral 71 denotes a console unit, desk sized or smaller which is readily and conveniently installed on a retail selling floor. On the top of such console is a servolift mechanism for positioning shells 41 and a storage area for such shells thereunder. We also provide a servo-lift mechanism 73 for the webs 50 with storage space provided thereunder. In lieu of such servo-lift mechanisms manual placement may certainly be used.

We find that it is preferable in filling the shells of this invention with foam, that such shells be filled from the bottom thus permitting the foam to be formed upwardly and also particularly with the thin plastic shells that are most useful herewith that such shells be contained within a restraining form during the filling and foam-setting periods. While a very rigid shell would perhaps eliminate the necessity for such a restraining mechanism, we find that it is much preferred in order to not expand the shell upon packaging that such shell be engaged within a restraining form. This We provide in the embodiment illustrated in these figures.

The shells 41, initially open (as illustrated in FIG. 11) are placed into a restraining form 74, the configuration of which is adapted as to substantially exactly accept the shell. A shell is placed in said form 74, and a web 50 from web storage is first placed on the web transfer plate 75 which rotates onto the shell to properly position a Web onto rim of the shell. Again using the cup and saucer as an example, these are then positioned on the web. The form 74 is then closed about a first hinge 95 thereby closing the shell and then such closed unit is rotated about pivot 96 whereby the foam distributor tip 51 is caused to engage with conduit 53. A similar such conduit 90 is provided on the form 74. At this point the shell is ready for loading with the foam precursor material unless, of course, the precursor material has already been placed in the shell as part of the one-component heatable foam precursor noted above. When the distributor tip 51 and the conduit 53 are in engagement, a ram member 78 engages the side of the form 74 to cause intimate closing of both the shell and the form. Subsequently and quickly a timing mechanism 79 is actuated which in turn actuates the pump to deliver a measured quantity of foam precursor material into the cavities of the package.

The raw materials for generating the foam are stored in the base of the console and consist essentially of tanks and metering pumps or in some cases the pumps may be eliminated if there is an adequate pressure in the tanks of materials. Conduits lead from such tanks to the distributor tip 51. We also provide valving and timing mechanisms whereby the amount of foam fed into the cavities are very carefully controlled.

As described above, there are exhaust vents 62 provided in the package shell. Such vents may be directly vented to the air through vents in form 74 or indirectly vented through channeling in the form 74 and subsequent conduits.

In the present packaging system, it is most desirable to have the article to be packaged encased within package halves containing an equal weight of foam. The volumes may differ as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7 but the weight should 'be substantially the same in order to assure an excellent protective package.

It also should be noted that while the two sections of the package are shown as being equal and therefore contain an equal weight of foam, that it is possible to construct the present package using unequal sized but mating segments and this certainly falls within the scope of our invention. Furthermore, while a shell is used in the preferred embodiment hereof, the package may be formed without such shell directly in the form 74.

While various means of inserting the foam material into the package halves have been described, it, of course, will be evident to those skilled in this art that a T-shaped tip insert may in some cases be used in lieu of the structure as associated with conduit 53 and that a plurality of foaming materials may be used therewith.

It will be understood that various modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit or scope of the novel concepts of our invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. In the method of packaging wherein polyurethane foam is used to support and encase the material to be packaged the improvements comprising:

(a) providing a package shell, said shell consisting essentially of two hinged, equal package halves and having foam entry ports and air escape vents;

(b) placing a flexible, continuous web member across the open faces of said package halves, said web member being impervious to polyurethane;

(c) placing the item to be packaged on said web toward the center of one of said package halves;

((1) closing the package shell; and

(e) injecting an equal weight of polyurethane precursor materials simultaneously into each of the package halves through said entry ports and permitting said materials to foam around said package.

2. The method of packaging as defined in claim 1 wherein the package is externally supported while the precursor materials are being injected and during the foaming thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,190,442 6/1965 Gauss 206-46 FC 3,201,911 8/1965 Woodland 53-36 3,222,843 12/1965 Schneider 5336 X 3,223,232 12/1965 Coen 20646 FC X THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 20646 FC 

